Eurasia Tunnel
The Eurasia Tunnel (Turkish: Avrasya Tüneli) is a road tunnel in Istanbul, Turkey, crossing underneath the Bosphorus strait. The tunnel was officially opened on 20 December 2016 and opened to traffic on 22 December 2016.
Kumkapı entrance to Eurasia Tunnel | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Avrasya Tüneli |
| Location | Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul, Turkey |
| Coordinates | 41°00′17″N 28°59′41″E |
| Status | Open |
| Route | E80 / D.100 |
| Start | Kumkapı, Fatih (Europe) |
| End | Haydarpaşa (Asia) |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 26 February 2011 |
| Opened | 22 December 2016 |
| Owner | Eurasia Tunnel Operation Construction and Investment Inc. (ATAŞ) (until operation period) Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (after operation period) |
| Operator | Eurasia Tunnel Operation Construction and Investment Inc. (ATAŞ) Egis Tunnels |
| Traffic | car, minibus, van, motorcycle |
| Character | Undersea, double-deck tunnel |
| Toll | 80 TRY for automobiles, 120 TRY for minibuses, 31.20 TRY for motorcycles Half toll applies 00:00-04:59 |
| Technical | |
| Length | 5.4 km (3.4 mi) |
| No. of lanes | 2 x 2 |
| Operating speed | 70 km/h (43 mph) |
The 5.4 km (3.4 mi) double-deck tunnel connects Kumkapı on the European part and Koşuyolu, Kadıköy, on the Anatolian part of Istanbul with a 14.6 km (9.1 mi) route including the tunnel approach roads. It crosses the Bosphorus beneath the seabed at a maximum depth of −106 m (348 ft). It is about 1 km (0.62 mi) south of the undersea railway tunnel Marmaray, which was opened on 29 October 2013. The journey between the two continents takes about 5 minutes. Toll is collected in both directions; since February 2020, ₺36.40 (about $4 US) for cars and ₺54.70 ($6 US) for minibuses. In February 2021 the toll increased by 26% to ₺46 (approx. $6.20) and ₺69 (~$9.30) respectively.